He was president of Emporia State University for five years before returning to a faculty position in 2011. Lane was vice chancellor for academic affairs/provost at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mansfield University and business dean at Berry College in Georgia and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Lane has also been the associate dean and director of the MBA program at Bradley University in Illinois.

He has a Bachelor of Science in finance from Lowell Technological Institute, a Master of Science in accounting from Northeastern University and a Doctor of Philosophy in accounting from Texas A&M University.